


we're not dating

by yosef_the_tycoon



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Bisexual Kara Danvers, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gay Disaster Kara Danvers, I literally love these gay disasters, Idiots in Love, Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor in Love, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Lesbian Lena Luthor, Light Angst, Love, Minor Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Protective Alex Danvers, and that's basically it, hecking dorks, honestly there's a lot of fluff in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24118831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yosef_the_tycoon/pseuds/yosef_the_tycoon
Summary: Lena kisses Kara, and it's everything she's wanted.Except for the fact that she, and everyone else, thinks they've been dating for months.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 77
Kudos: 1114





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so I wrote this verrry fast and it's mostly dialogue. might do a second part?
> 
> anyways, here is Kara not realising she's been dating Lena for months. ft soft gf content (hopefully?)

"So it was the middle of the day, right? The middle of the day. And this dumbass, he asked me-"

Kara's brain short circuits. She's being kissed. By Lena. Lena is kissing her.

She pulls away gently, and Kara is sure that no one has eyes as pretty as she does. "I'm sorry," she says gently. "I shouldn't have done that - you clearly weren't-"

Kara kisses her again. She's spent an embarrassing amount of time thinking what it would be like to be kissed by those lips.

When she pulls away, Lena has the most adorable startled face Kara has ever seen. "Wow. I didn't think..."

Kara gently tucks a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Lena..."

"I didn't think you were ready," Lena says. "I mean, two months of dating is a long time not to kiss, but if you're ready now, that's great. I don't want you to feel like I'm rushing things."

"You're not," says Kara's mouth. What? Why the fuck did she say that? They're not dating. Does Lena think they're dating?

Lena gives a soft smile. "If you're sure." She kisses Kara again, deep and long.

Holy. Shit.

She can feel Lena's tongue, pushing into her mouth, and she feels a wave of anxiety. Her mind is racing faster than a Drang. Lena pulls away. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I just-"

"Take it slow, yeah, I understand," Lena says. She smiles apologetically. "My lunch break is basically over anyway - why don't we talk about this later? Dinner?"

"Of course," Kara agrees, feeling vaguely shell-shocked.

She hurries from Lena's office and takes a cab back to her apartment. Jesus Christ, that was a lot to unpack.

Lena likes her. Lena thinks they're dating? Lena kissed her first. She thinks they're dating?

She calls Alex.

"What, Kara, I'm at work," she says - not angry, just hasty.

Kara's brain short-circuits again.

"Come on, Kara, it's the middle of the day."

"Lenakissedme," she blurts.

Silence. "Kara."

"Yes?"

"Are you seriously calling me to say that Lena kissed you?"

"Yes?"

"Kara, I know I can be overprotective. But you've been together a while now, you really don't have to tell me when you guys kiss."

"What?" Kara squeaks.

"I'm honestly very confused."

"You- thought we were together?" Kara asks incredulously.

"You...are together. Kara, what's going on?"

"We're not dating!" Kara protests. "At least, I didn't think so. But Lena did! That's why I called. She said we've been dating for two months!"

"What," Alex says. "Are you actually trying to tell me you're not dating?"

"We're not dating."

"You sleep in each other's beds. You have brunch twice a week. She brought you a company. Kara, how are you so, incredibly stupid?"

"That's like, friend stuff, though!"

"Kara," Alex says, like she wants to punch something. "She introduces you as her girlfriend."

"I thought that was like, when straight girls call their female friends their girlfriends," Kara says sheepishly.

"Nothing about Lena is straight! She's the gayest person I know, and I'm a lesbian!" Alex says. "Are you really trying to say you thought kissing her on the forehead when you say goodbye was platonic?"

"Maybe," Kara says, but she can hear Maggie's voice distantly on the phone.

"Yeah, Kara says she didn't realise she was dating Lena," she hears Alex say.

"What?" comes Maggie's voice.

"Are you serious!" Kara exclaims. "Am I the only person who didn't realise we're dating?"

"Yes, you dumb fuck," Alex informs her. "Talk to her, Jesus Christ."

She hangs up.

Shit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara needs to tell Lena. She really doesn't want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo this one is longer, and less amusing methinks. but it's cute (en mi opinión)
> 
> also it's literally wild to me that people enjoyed what I wrote? and asked for more? crazy
> 
> basically irrelevant, but still processing Sunday's episode like wow, Lena really saved her own damn self. fuck lex. (not that I watch the actual show other than youtube and twitter clips)
> 
> anywho, here's part 2

Kara's mouth is dry. She's been intermittently pacing, and sitting on her couch rubbing her face. Thank God her workload is light this week or she'd be drowning right now - her mind is racing through every interaction she's had with Lena these past two months.

Had she wanted to date Lena? Of course she had. Didn't mean she'd thought it was happening.

Still, it's all slowly clicking into place.

She wishes smacking her own self on the head was a viable and mature reaction. Because she's now absolutely certain that she should have realised this before. 

They sleep in each other's beds almost every night. They text each other about domestic stuff - groceries and when the other will get off work. They wear each other's clothes and make sure they have lunch together at least twice a week.

Most importantly, Lena introduces as her girlfriend. No wonder at the gala last weekend, she'd been confused when Kara asked if people might get the wrong idea.

Turns out it had been the right idea.

She's really not sure how to tell Lena. She'll be hurt, surely.

She considers not telling her, but realises that's even stupider. If their relationship is going to work - and she really, really wants it to - them she's going to have to be upfront about it.

The things she's not sure about is when it all started.

It clicks - Nia's birthday. They had managed to get a hold of Asgardian alcohol, so Nia's birthday was one of the few times Kara had actually been drunk. It's a blur.

She does remember waking up next to Lena (fully clothed). That day, Lena had asked, "Do you still want to do that thing we talked about?"

Kara, like an idiot, had said yes, and a beatiful smile had spread across Lena's face. Kara had then immediately forgotten about it.

Shit, shit, shit.

It's seven o'clock. Lena, being the busy CEO she is, would probably be late, but Kara's heart still jumps into her mouth and pounds there until 7:44, when Lena arrives. 

It takes that long for Kara to realise that they essentially have been dating this whole time. She also realises she's probably been happier these last few months than she ever has been.

She enters without knocking, wearing the same blue suit as earlier, and with two plastic shopping bags. She's the most beautiful person Kara has ever seen in real life.

"God, I know, I'm a mess," she says, putting the bags on the counter. "I thought today it would be nice to cook something, instead of ordering in. What do you think?"

"Anything you want," Kara says, and even as she says it, she knows her voice sounds different to normal.

"Are you alright?" Lena asks, turning around.

Kara doesn't know quite what to say.

Lena face softens, and she leans her forearms on the counter top across from Kara. "No, you're right, we should talk. Dinner can wait."

"I really don't know what to say," Kara tells her, because it's true. She uses words for a living, yet so often she finds herself speechless around Lena. 

"I'm sorry if I moved too fast," Lena says gently, and Kara feels a wave of guilt. She's being so open and willing to have an entirely different conversation to the one Kara is going to give.

"It's not that," Kara says.

"Then what is it?" She takes Kara's hand. "You can tell me anything."

"It's going to hurt you," Kara tells her. That hurts, because she swore she was going to be someone for Lena that she could trust not to hurt her.

"How bad can it be?" she challenges.

"I-" Kara cuts herself off. This is legitimately the dumbest thing she's ever done, and that's coming from someone who once tried to eat one hundred potstickers in a row. Of all the absurd things, she finds a laugh bubbling up inside her.

"Kara?" Lena laughs uncertainly.

"I'm sorry- you must think I've lost it," Kara manages though her laughter. "Promise I haven't. I just- I'm just, this is the most ridiculous situation I've been in. And you know me - I've been in a ton of ridiculous situations."

Lena raises one of those annoyingly perfect eyebrows. "What is it?"

"God, it's you," Kara says, throwing her hands up at her own dumbassery. "Christ, this isn't how I planned this in my head. You- you deserve better."

Lena's face is slowly slipping out of its smile. "Kara, what's going on?"

The setting sun is filtering through the windows, and it sets her skin aglow. She swears she can see herself in her eyes, and the way the dying rays catch her hair makes something she can't identify spread through her chest. "You're the best I've ever had," Kara says, and her voice is too soft and the words hang too still in the air. "I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this right."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Lena says, and her voice sounds already resigned.

"That's just it - it's the opposite," Kara says. "I didn't- I didn't realise we were dating. I swear, that's not to say I didn't want to the whole time - I do, I want to be your girlfriend more than anything in the entire world. I just don't remember agreeing to date, or anything like that. And I didn't- I just didn't realise. Which is stupid, I know. So stupid. And I just want you to know that I never, ever want to hurt you. I just...didn't know. That we're dating. Like sure, we have definitely been dating now that I think about it, but I somehow didn't realise?"

Lena's expression is unreadable. "Are you trying to tell me that this whole time, you thought we were friends."

Kara chews her lip. "Yes."

"But you wanted to date me. The whole time."

"Yes."

"Kara," she says. "That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard."

Kara's relief comes in a whoosh of air - the breath she didn't realise she was holding. "You're not mad?"

"Of course not," she assures. "I think that we absolutely need to work on communicating better. But I'm not mad. It's kind of funny, really?"

Kara can't help but laugh again. "I really just thought I was pining after my best friend, who slept in my bed, built me a statue, and introduces me as her girlfriend."

"We hold hands, Kara!" Lena says incredulously. "I just thought you weren't ready for the physical aspects. Does this mean you'll kiss me now?"

Kara's heart skips a beat. "You still want to date?"

"Of course." She gives a warm smile. "I think we should maybe start this whole thing again. No drunken agreements, no ambiguity. Kara Danvers, will you be my girlfriend?"

Kara feels a grin stretch across her face. "Absolutely."

She looks so beautiful in this light - her translucent eyes reflecting the golden sun. Her lips look soft as buttercream, and Kara leans across the countertop to give her a warm, chaste kiss.

She feels Lena smile into her mouth, and she rests her forehead on Kara's. "So, dinner?"

"Dinner," Kara agrees.

They're not at some fancy restaurant, or living out some huge romantic gesture. But Kara's first real date with Lena is perfect, and she wouldn't have it any other way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kara likes hot dogs and everyone bullies her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo i've been swamped this week butttt I wrote a part three. it's mostly dialogue (and I think it feels a little bit cut off bcause I wanted to do game night shenanigans in a separate part) but hey
> 
> k james is in this but he's just vibing so it's okay. also I live for bi disaster child genius kara. and little shit alex danvers is my new aesthetic
> 
> I want a hot dog and I'm very scared for the season final don't touch me
> 
> it's 3:30 am in the uk bye

Kara applies concealer under her eyes while Lena straightens her hair. "So, just to reiterate-"

"Oh, my God. Kara."

"Just to reiterate, everyone else knew we were dating?" Kara says.

"Yes," Lena says.

"Everyone."

"Yes."

"Rao," she sighs, capping her concealer and unscrewing her mascara. "I'm not going to hear the end of this at game night today."

Lena shrugs. "You don't have to tell them."

Kara is about to agree, but she remembers. "No, I called Alex right away. Maggie was there too."

She can see Lena grinning in the reflection of the mirror.

"You know what-"

"Sorry, sorry," she smiles. "I just think it's funny. And it's sweet that you called Alex."

Kara finishes with the mascara and closes the lid. "I really was worried you'd be mad at me. Or hurt."

Lena makes eye contact with her in the mirror. Her reflection is just a little faded in Kara's old mirror, and there are fairy lights cellotaped around it. "Kara," she says. "I could never be angry at you. My initial reaction was hurt, but it was so obvious that it was an honest mistake - it's not like the last few months mean nothing to you, we just...had a communications mishap. It's really my fault - I need to work on communication."

Of course Lena would blame herself. "I think it's on both of us. Mostly me being a dumbass. But we've figured it out, right?"

"Right." She pulls her straightened hair into a ponytail - Kara can never quite understand why she bothers straightening if she's just going to put it up. She says it makes it neater, but Kara honestly can't tell the difference.

They both get up to gather their things, moving silently around eachother. It's like how with Alex, she's able to exist in the same space without words just from how long they've known each other.

She has always felt connected to Lena.

They walk down Kara's stairwell together, stopping just before the doors to the street outside. It smells vaguely of hot dogs and Kara is suddenly very hungry. She makes the wise and mature decision to buy hot dogs for breakfast. 

Out of sight of Lena, though. Her fridge is basically just kale and scotch. 

"See you at game night?" Kara says before they head into the street.

"Of course," she smiles. "I'll try not to be too late this time."

"That's okay," Kara says. She adjusts her glasses. "Hey, does this mean I actually get to kiss you now?"

"Yeah, I guess it does," Lena says, smiling gently. Fuck, she's pretty. Lena looks at her lips for a long moment before she leans forward and kisses Kara, warm and chaste.

"See you later," she says, giving her a last gentle kiss on the cheek and heading out the door.

Kara thinks she might cry with happiness, which is not something she's used to feeling. At least, she does her best to be happy. But intense happiness like this? Not so much.

She doesn't talk about the way the annihilation of her species sits in the back of her mind so often. She tries to be positive, to look at things as they could be, but it's still sometimes hard to feel truly happy.

But this, right now? She's never been happier.

She buys the hot dog - hot dogs, whatever - and calls Alex.

"Oh my God, Kara, it's seven thirty," Alex complains, even though Kara knows she will have already been jogging.

"Yeah, Lena had to-" Kara starts.

"Holy shit, yeah, did you tell Lena you didn't know you were dating?" Alex asks. Her tone is part teasing, part concerned.

"Yeah," she says, but takes a too-large bite of hot dog. Ketchup spills onto her fingers. Shit. She wipes her fingers on the napkin around the hot dog, but only succeeds in spreading it around more. She mumbles, "Shit."

"Wait, did it go bad?" Alex says. "I know I haven't always been the nicest to her, but I really thought she cared about-"

"Yeah, no, she took it really well," Kara says, hurriedly swallowing the hot dog. Nope, that bite was way too big. "I just spilled ketchup on myself."

"That's good, I'm- wait, why do you have ketchup at seven thirty?"

Crap. Alex is just as bad as Lena. "I may have gotten a hot dog for breakfast."

"Christ," comes Alex's voice. "And I know that's not the worst thing you've eaten for breakfast this week, is it? I hope you know if you weren't indestructible you'd be dead. Not from being shot at, or blown up, or poisoned - you'd just have a fucking heart attack."

Seriously? "I'm an adult, Alex. I can eat hot dogs for breakfast if I want to."

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't," Alex says dryly, then, further away, "Yeah, it's Kara. She says it went well."

"Is that Maggie?" Kara asks, then kicks herself. Literally who else would it be? Alex insists she has friends, but Kara isn't sure.

"Yeah. So, what did she say when you told her your first few months together meant nothing?"

"Alex!" Kara protests. "It's not like that, and you know it. And she knows it. She was very understanding of my stupidity, thank you very much."

"Well, that's good," Alex says. "If I were her, I'd have dumped you on the spot."

"Wow, thanks," Kara says dryly. She's close to CatCo now anyway, so she decides to hang up for dramatic effect.

She does her best to focus on the article she's writing, she really does. And she manages to finish it eventually. But all she can think about is Lena.

She regrets the time she spent shitting on lovesick movie characters. She's just as bad as they are.

"What's up with you today?" Winn says. "You're especially...smiley."

"It's a good day," Kara shrugs. She gestures out the window, where the sky seems particularly bright.

"Is it?" James says dryly from nearby.

"Yes," she says, because it is.

"Then why did I get these texts from Alex yesterday?" he says, turning his phone around with a grin.

"What?" Winn exclaims, having read the texts. "Kara, what?"

"I just didn't know, okay!" she protests. "I was drunk when she asked me out. And then I thought everything was, uh. Friend stuff."

James just laughs. Winn looks genuinely shocked. "She introduces you to people as her girlfriend!"

"That's what everyone keeps saying," Kara mumbles.

"Kara has a girlfriend?" says the woman who sits opposite Kara - Harriet. She's a great baker, so they get along pretty well.

"Yes," Kara starts, then remembers she's in a room full of journalists. Probably best not to make any headlines today. She backtracks. "No."

"She thought she didn't," James says, like it's the funniest thing in the world.

"But she does!" Winn says. "Crazy, right. No one bothered to tell Kara."

"You know what, you two can both shut it. Ignore them," she tells Harriet.

Winn and James both snigger in the background. And Maggie says Nia is kid of the group.

Unfortunately, when Kara arrives at game night, almost everyone is there (at Sam's apartment, this week). Only Maggie and Lena are missing - both still at work, presumably.

The others start cheering as Kara walks in.

"Award for the biggest dumbass," Alex says in her best presenter voice.

"Did you have to tell everyone?" Kara winces as she drapes her coat over the couch with everyone else's.

"Yes."

"And we're very grateful that she did," Sam says, barely suppressing a grin.

"I just didn't know," Kara protests again, rolling her eyes with a smile as she sits down. "I promise, I was pining the whole time."

"Dumbass," Alex says again, shaking her head.

"Technically I'm a genius," Kara reminds her. "So. You can suck it."

Alex flicks a piece of popcorn at her.

"You are?" Nia asks. "A genius, I mean."

"Yeah, man," Kara says, fake-offended. "I was the youngest member of the science guild on Krypton."

"Where'd it all go?" Alex asks. "We'll never know."

Kara throws popcorn back at her. "Still smarter than you."

"And yet," she says. "You didn't know that you were dating your girlfriend."

"Whatever."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> game night, featuring Lena's dimples, pictionary, and my girl Nia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did I crank this out at 2 am again? perhaps.
> 
> it's been a while bois, but here's the last part to what was supposed to be a one shot. this part does have some light angst but it's cute so it's fine
> 
> oh and it mentions lillian and her a+ parenting (kinda sorta maybe) soo just be careful if u ain't good with that 
> 
> also people who watch christmas movies when it's not christmas are real scary

Maggie and Lena arrive together. They don't seem to spend much time together, but they seemed to click pretty fast after the whole arrest situation. They constantly make gay jokes that only Nia understands - Kara and Alex are left permentantly confused.

"Hey Lena, how does it feel to be dating the biggest stonk in town?" Nia asks. Kara feels like she should be offended, but she chokes on her juice instead.

"Pretty good, now that we're, y'know, dating," she jokes, hanging her coat up next to Ruby's (who is at a friend's house).

Brainy is frowning. "I must say, I'm still confused about what exactly is happening. I was of the belief that Lena and Kara had been dating for several months."

Nia laughs and begins explaining all over again. Lena sits next to Kara on the couch, kicking off her stilettos and tucking her feet underneath her. She's wearing one of those incredibly expensive, incredibly sexy work suits.

"Hey," she says, with perhaps the cutest smile Kara has ever seen. She loves Lena's dimples.

"Hey," Kara says. Her lips are just slightly parted, and Kara leans forward for a kiss without even thinking about it. "How was work?"

She shrugs. "I'm glad it's done?"

"That bad, huh?" Kara says teasingly.

"Jesus Christ," comes Lucy's voice. "Y'all realise they were sickening before, and it's going to be worse now?"

"Oh shit, no," Alex says. "Lena, break up with Kara right now."

"Rude," Kara mutters, then remembers. "Hey, you do not get to say anything after that Christmas party!"

"I'm intrigued," Lena says.

"Nope!" Alex yelps. "I take it back, you two are perfect for each other."

"I'll tell you later," Kara assures Lena.

"Do not-"

"Alright," interrupts J'onn. "Now that everyone is here, who wants to play pictionary?"

No one, it turns out. 

James and Winn win at pictionary. By far. Kara's competitive, but she doesn't really care. Lena fell asleep against Kara's shoulder somewhere towards the end of the game. Kara tucks a strand of hair from where it's fallen into her face.

Nia not so subtly snaps a picture. "For posterity," she clarifies.

"Mmhm," Kara says, eyebrow raised, Lena style.

"Send it to me," Alex says when she thinks Kara isn't paying attention.

"Let the poor girl sleep," Maggie says fondly. "She sleeps less than me, and I don't sleep."

James and Winn don't get the memo. They had gone to make popcorn in the kitchen, and come back in chanting about how they smoked everyone. 

"You two are not allowed on the same team anymore," Alex informs them.

"Yeah, y'all are sore losers," Nia agrees. "And Lena's trying to sleep."

They both tone it down, but the damage has been done. Lena wakes up as fast as she had fallen asleep.

Kara can tell something's wrong - she gave a little twitch as she woke, and her heart rate is much too fast. "Are you okay?" Kara whispers.

She nods, but Lena slips into the the kitchen as soon as she thinks the others aren't paying attention. Kara follows her, and she knows Sam is watching. Sam is almost as protective of Lena as Kara is.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She's leaning against the beechwood kitchen island. It's dark out, and the curtains are open, so Kara can see their reflection clearly in the window. She sees herself take Lena's hand into hers.

Warmth spreads through her - Kara always felt something nagging at the back of her mind if she held Lena's hand or slept in her bed, until now.

Though she doesn't smile, Kara can see the start of her dimples. "I'm okay." 

"Are you sure?" Kara says, pressing a quick kiss to one of those dimples.

She shrugs. "It was just a weird dream. You know, the type where you feel like you're falling right before you fall asleep, and you snap awake? It was like as I snapped awake...I don't know. It was strange. It was Lillian, and she yanked my hair back, and then her face changed to Lex's. Just in the split second before I woke up. I'm fine, honestly, it just left me with a strange feeling."

Kara kisses her forehead softly. "I get it. Sometimes I see my home when I dream, and it feels so real, and I wake up and feel all- all discombobulated, you know?"

The dimples turn into a small smile at Kara's less than stellar wording. "Right."

"Right," Kara agrees. "Want to go see what movie they've picked?"

"Sure."

Kara doesn't let go of her hand as they head to the living room. "What are we watching?"

"Elf," Nia says dryly.

"It's October," Lena protests.

Lucy has a shit-eating grin. "You're welcome."

So Kara watches Elf in October, with her girlfriend in her arms, and the taste of buttered popcorn in her mouth. She'd say that things worked out pretty well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aight that's it for now. I'm going to leave this one as is, but let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see (I have like a thousand AU's in my laptop that I forget about we'll see what happens)
> 
> in conclusion, stay sexy and don't get murdered


End file.
